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United States Patent O APPARATUS FOR IRONING AND PRESSING GARMENTS Luin K. Hitz, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 1, 1951, Serial No. 239,644

27 Claims. (Cl. 223-57) This invention relates to an apparatus for smoothing the lsurfaces of garments and specically to an apparatus for ironing shirts, blouses and similar articles of clothing and pressing coats and similar outer garments, the items of clothing in either case being of a character such that they can be ironed or pressed by machine methods rather than by hand work.

Smoothing operations of this kind have heretofore been accomplished by manually mounting the article on a suitable padded form and by manually or by power means brmging a smoothing iron into contact with the garment either at the location where the form is dressed or at a nearby location to which the form is moved after dressing. In the known smoothing machines of this kind, the operator or operators have been required to make many movements of their arms, body and legs to move the garment to and from the form and to arrange it on the form.

It is one object of this invention to greatly reduce these movements of the operators to save labor time, to reduce fatigue and to step up the production rate of the apparatus. This is accomplished by providing in the apparatus a three station endless trackway, three garment forms or bucks mounted each on its own carriage, a conveying means for moving the three carriages about the trackway, and three facilities at the three stations respectively for dressing the form, smoothing the garment on the form and removing the garment from the form.

Many further objects of the invention are achieved and advantages realized in the detailed features of this trackway and multiple garment form apparatus which will be apparent as the invention is disclosed herein. For example, it is an object of the invention to provide a form or buck having two equal halves hinged on vertical axes which may be moved into folded position for ready placelnent or removal of the garment and may be opened into alined position so that the body and sleeves of the garment may be pressed or ironed in one smoothing operation of the irons. By thus smoothing the garment in one operation, the handling of it is reduced, with less occasion for wrinkling. This feature of the invention not only lends itself well to the three-carriage, three-station, feature of the apparatus but also may be used in smoothing machines of this general character in which only one form is employed.

For ready placement and removal of the garment, the two form halves are each made with a knee joint at its lower end so that when in folded position the form may be lowered to a horizontal position with the 'sleevers directed upwardly and within easy reach of the operator. At the garment removal station the form is thus lowered, garment removed, the form is conveyed in the lowered position to the dressing station, the next garment placed on it and the form raised to an upright position where it unfolds, holding the garment in position for the smoothing operation.

Another detailed feature of the invention which lends itself particularly to the principle of the endless trackway and a plurality of traveling forms is that by which the body and sleeves of the garment are automatically released prior to removal oi the ironed or pressed garment and it is another object of the invention to provide for such an automatic release.

A rst operator will make only a half turn of the body at the dressing station and take one step to adjacent collar and cuff smoothing devices then take a shirt from the damp shirt box or a coat from the pile of coats to be pressed, and after operating the collar and cuff devices,

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turn back to the buck or form at the dressing station and place the garment on the form. At the undressing station, a second operator removes the garment and places it on a traveling hanger or on a table where it is folded and stacked for ylater removal. Two operators thus handle the entire apparatus, since no operator is required at the smoothing station. y

It is another major object of the invention to provide an improved form of buck upon which the garment is arranged for the smoothing operation. In the known garment forms now in use for this purpose, a solid frame of the general shape of the garment is padded with a compressible material and usually two pressing irons are brought into contact with the front and back of the garment on the padded buck. It is one object of this invention to provide in lieu of a padded buck a flexible form filled with compressed air with the advantage of subjecting the garment to even pressure over its entire surface while it is being ironed or pressed.

Several further objects and advantages are attained by the qualities characteristic of this air-filled buck. An outer bag of exible inflatable material is carried by the frame of the buck. This bag is capable of expansion from a size suitable for lling out and carrying a small sized garment, as for example a 14 size shirt, to a fully stretched size suitable for filling out and carrying a large sized garment, as for example an 18 size shirt. Thus one form is not only capable of mounting garments over a wide range of sizes but the material of the bag is such that at any degree of inflation it is largely devoid of wrinkles and conforms smoothly to the cut and sewn shape of the garment within the predetermined range of size ot garments without wrinkling the garment and without leaving unpressed areas which were not held outwardly against the surface of the iron. The wrinkles in the bag which may form when it is mounting a smaller size garment do not produce wrinkles in the smoothed garment since the material of the bag is both flexible, and thin. Furthermore the fiber strands of the bag are by their inherent nature slidably movable under the strands of the textile material of the garment, a quality of the bag which increases the conformability of the bag to the garment and further reduces the probability of wrinkling of the garment to be smoothed.

The material used in the bag is thin, porous to a small degree, has high tensile strength, is flexible, and is resistant to the temperature of the pressing iron, as for instance a temperature of about 350 degrees F. lt is one object of the invention to provide an inflatable, flexible bag form having these qualities. It has been found that a taffeta nylon sheeted material of recent development by one of the manufacturers engaged in the production of this general class of material, is especially suitable for use in these bag forms.

The porous quality of the material makes it possible to attain a further object of the invention, i. e., to provide a bag which may be subjected to an inilowing stream of compressed air from a source of compressed air, at, ,for example, 3 or 5 pounds pressure per square inch, at a constant volumetric rate, as for instance 200 cubic feet per minute, and which will permit the escape of air through the pores of the bag at a rate which will automatically regulate the air pressure within the bag to a desired value of, for example, one to two pounds per square inch.

Another feature of this invention resides in the heating of the air forced into the bag form as the air proceeds from the compressor to the air inlet to the bag. The heated air in the bag evaporates the moisture from the garment, from the air form bag, and from the buck, and dissipates it through the pores of the bag. This moisture evaporation would otherwise have to be brought about solely by heat from the pressing irons. must accompany the pressure to eect the desired smoothing of the garment is thus applied partially from within the form, reducing the duty burden of the irons and providing a more perfect smoothing process. In fact, much of the smoothing effect is brought about by the pressural contact of the outwardly-pressed, heated bag against the garment. The contact with the bag supplements the pressing action of the iron, the two smoothing agents co- The heat which operating with each other to produce a result superior to any heretofore obtained.

Another object ot' the invention is to provide a garment smoother, in which an inilatable buck form may be filled either with compressed air or steam or with a mixture of compressed air and steam. The presence of steam within the bag is desirable for smoothing shirts and blouses of certain kinds of material and for pressing coats and other similar garments of heavy material.

Other objects and advantages are attained by features of the invention present in the construction of the smoothing irons. As an example, the front press head is caused to come into contact with the front of the garment first by the provision ot a retarding spring for delaying movement of the rear press head. Thus the pleats, pocket flaps, and similar thickened areas on the front of the shirt are subjected to the longer pressing action required. When either iron contacts the garment, the escape of the compressed air through the pores of the bag is virtually halted, increasing the pressure within the bag. Thus when the front iron makes contact first the smoothing pressure is increased. When the rear iron also makes contact the smoothing pressure is further increased and may reach also that of the compressor which supplies the air to the bag. Also the front of the garment is subjected to the mechanical pressure of the iron against metal plates which are intentionally arranged at the front of the form, as will appear in the description of the structure of the machine of the invention.

Admission of compressed air to the form bag is initiated and terminated by a sequence controlled damper valve. When the air is not flowing into the bag, it is automatically bypassed through an outlet between the compressor and heater into the laundry room. Thus heated air under pressure is always ready for admission to the bag form at the proper juncture and for the proper period of time. But there is no loss of heat energy from the heater coils if, as is desirable, the heater coils are thermostatically controlled and the heater chamber is properly insulated. The cool air bypassed into the room between periods of operation of the pressing mechanism, reduces to a more comfortable level the frequently high temperature of the laundry quarters.

It is another object of the invention to provide a suitable control system for the operation, in coordinated relationship and in proper sequence, of the several parts and devices of the apparatus.

Other objects and advantages inherent in the nature and construction of the apparatus as a whole and of its several parts individually and in groups, will be apparent from the disclosure of the invention, in the appended drawings and in the following specification and claims.

I have fully described one embodiment of the invention herein which is presented for illustrative purposes. The invention is not limited to this specic embodiment but is detined in the appended claims.

Figure l is a front assembly elevational view of an apparatus embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the assembly with the tops of the bags and some other parts removed;

Figure 2a is a side elevation showing the latching device for lowering the buck into position for placing the shirt or other article of clothing upon it;

Figure 3 is .a view in elevation of a carriage and buck partly in section showing the associated track structure; the carriage being in transit between stations 2 and 3;

u Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line .4-4 of Figure 3, but with the carriage at station 3; Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line .6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 4 showing a track wheel and the mounting therefor:

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a carriage and buck and associated portion of the trackway partiallv in section, the b uck being shown in phantom in its elevated traveling position and `in full lines in its lowered position for applying or removing the article of clothing to be ironed or pressed, the carriagel and buck being shown at station 1 with its right and left sides reversed from their positions as shown in Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view 0f a, bllk taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 3;

Figure 10 is a sectional View of the buck pipe taken along the line 10-10 of Figure 8;

Figure 1l is a sectional view of the smaller pipe of the buck sleever, taken along the line 11-11 of Figure 8;

Figure l2 is a vertical sectional view of the sieever end;

Figure 13 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 15-13 of Figure 3;

Figure 14 is a schematic view of the electrical and pneumatic control devices and their connections;

Figure 15 is a side elevation of the presser, showing associated portions of the trackway and one of the carriages and its buck;

Figure 16 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 16-16 of Figure 15;

Figure 17 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 17-17 of Figure 15;

Figure 18 is a fragmentary side elevation of the butterily valve and the controlling devices therefor taken in the direction of the arrow 18 on Figure 15; and

Figures 19 and 20 are fragmentary plan views of the trackway guide slots.

The apparatus of this invention may be used for either ironing or pressing articles of clothing and herein the word "smooth and its suix forms shall be used to refer to ironers, pressers, and other similar devices and to their operative performance. The word iron specifically shall be used to refer to a smooth surfaced heated body of metal for the application of pressure and heat to the work article. The apparatus of this invention consists essentially of (l) a plurality of, preferably three, traveling bucks of similar construction for mounting the shirt, coat or other article of apparel during the pressing operation, (2) a trackway and conveyor structure having three stations upon which the bucks are simultaneously moved from station to station, (3) means at a rst one of these stations for dressing the buck with the article to be smoothed, (4) means at a second station for smoothing the article, (5) means at a third station for removing the article of clothing, and (6) an automatically controlled power mechanism for the proper coordinated operation of the several parts and devices of the apparatus.

In the apparatus embodying the invention which is shown in the drawing a trackway structure generally designated by the numeral 10 is shown in elevation in Figure 1 and in plan in Figure 2. As seen in Figure 2 this structure is generally triangular in plan view. Vertical side plates 11 of Z section are used to form the outer and inner walls of the track structure. The outer l wall has a plate 11a at the base of the triangle, a plate 11b at the right side of the triangle as seen in Figure 2, a plate 11C at the left side of the triangle, and two short plates 11d at the upper apex of the triangle connected across their ends by a plate 11e. The inside wall of the track structure consists of a plate llf at the base of the triangle, a plate 11g at the right side of the triangle, as seen in Figure 2, a plate 11h at the left side of the triangle, and plates 11j at the upper apex of the triangle.

The lower left corner of the triangle of the track structure is the loading station and will be designated as station 1. The upper apex of the triangle at the top of Figure 2 is the station at which the smoothing operation takes place and will be designated as station 2. The lower right corner of the triangle is the station at which the shirt, coat or other article of clothing is removed from the carriage and is designated as station 3.

Each of the plates of both the inner and outer side walls 11 of the track structure has a top flange 12 projecting inwardly from the side wall and an outwardly proiecting bottom flange 13. The outer and inner side walls are held in spaced relation bv cross tie bars 14 which mav be disposed at the level of the floor or at any other suitable level above the floor.

At station 1 a horizontal corner plate 15 is disposed at a level about 1A of the distance down from the top of the side walls 11a and 11e and suitably secured to these side walls bv welding or otherwise, forming a horizontal she'f proieeting inwardly. Another horizontal plate 1511 is similarly secured to the inner wall plates 11f and 11h at the same level as plate 15. the two plates 1S and 15a forming a diamond shaped shelf with a slot 18, V-shaoed in plan contour between the two plates, as shown in Figure 19. The plate 15a may be supported on the inner side wall of the track structure by a gusset plate 21 or in any suitable manner.

Similar corner plates 16 and 16a are arranged in the accenna right hand corner of the triangle of the trackway structure providing a similar V-shaped slot 19 therebetween. At the upper apex of the trackway triangle at station 2 similar shelf plates 17 and 17a provide a V-shaped slot 20 and an additional slot leg a extending outwardly from the apex of the V of slot 2t) in a direction to bisect the angle between the two legs of slot 20. The slot at station 2 thus presents a three pointed start in plan contour as shown in Figure 20.

On the inner face of both the outer and inner side walls of the track structure angle irons are secured in a horizontal position toform anges 22 (Figures l, 3 and 19) at the same level as the corner plates 15, 16 and 17, 15a, 16a and 17a, and connecting the adjoining ends of these corner plates. As will later appear these corner plates and flanges 22 provide outer and inner rails around the trackway structure for the carriage wheels. A sprocket wheel a is mounted at station 1 on a pedestal 26a. The sprocket wheel is disposed in a horizontal plane at a level preferably about half way between the top and bottom planes of the track structure side walls 11. The hub of the sprocket wheel 25a, as is seen in Figure 2, is located in plan view somewhat outside the base leg of the slot 18 and also slightly to the right of the other leg of this slot 18 which coincides with the center line of the left side of the trackway structure. A sprocket wheel 25C is similarly mounted at station 3. Its hub is disposed somewhat inside the axis of the horizontal leg of the slot 19 and slightly to the right of the other leg of that slot. Sprocket wheel 25b is similarly mounted and disposed at station 2. Its hub is located to the left of the leg 20a of slot 20 and slightly short of the end ot' the leg 20a.

An endless sprocket chain 28 travels in a path around the three sprocket wheels 25a, 25h, 25e, and is provided with a suitable idler pulley (not shown) and is supported on the stretches between the sprocket wheels at the proper horizontal level for engagement with the three sprocket wheels by three horizontally arranged plates 23 suitably disposed and secured as by ilanges 24 to the vertical plates 11a, 11b, and 11C of the track structure and extending inwardly therefrom. The chain 28 is driven by a vertical gear reduction unit 26a and motor 27 at station 1.

The sprocket chain 28, which functions as a conveyor for the three buck carriages, has secured to it as may be seen in Figure 2, three flight bars 29, one for each of the buck carriages. These ilight bars may be seen in detail in Figures 3 and 8 in which they are shown with a base extending longitudinally of the chain and secured to two of the links thereof and a horizontal pusher bar which extends transversely of the track structure at a level to engage a pusher pin 45 extending downwardly from the base of the buck carriage.

The three bucks and their carriages are identical in construction. Each of the carriages has a horizontally extended base, these three bases being designated on the drawings as 30A, 30B and 30C. As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 8 the frame of each of these carriage bases has edge plates 31 on the left and right sides and edge plates 32 at the front and rear sides. Through the following description the words right and leftr have reference to the right and left sides of Figure 2 and similarly the words front and rear are used with reference to the lower and upper portions of that figure of the drawings.

Within the square chamber enclosed by these four edge plates and secured to these plates are a pair of right and left transverse frame plates 33 and 34, respectively, and a pair of front and rear transverse frame plates 35. These plates are disposed in vertical planes inset from the edge plates 31 and 32; they extend from the top level of the edge plates part way to the bottom level thereof, abutting a horizontal plate 36 (Figure 6) to be later described, and are slotted for engagement with each other at their points of intersection.

Within the four small rectangular chambers provided by these transverse plates at the corners of the carriage base are secured respectively four small bearing blocks a, (Figure 7), each of which mounts on its two outwardly directed faces two wheels 35h respectively, one for rotation and support of the carriage when the carriage is traveling along the base of the triangular pathway of the track structure, and the other for rotation and support of the carriage when the carriage is traveling on either one of the inclined sectionsof the pathway of 6 the track structure. Thus the carriage has the support of four rolling wheels when proceeding in a direction transverse to the axes of these four wheels, the other four of its eight wheels being at the same time stationary and acting as sliding supports for the carriage.

The carriage is further provided with a top plate 37 and a bottom plate 41 (Figures 3 to 8), each of which extends over the entire areas enclosed by the edge plates of the carriage frame. The top plate 37, for convenience of assembly, is made in two half portions which forma butt joint extending transversely of the carriage. Resting directly upon the bottom plate 41 is a relatively thick plate 3e which also extends over the full area enclosed by the edge plates and acts as will later appear as a support for the thrust bearing for the buck pipes which extend upwardly from the carriage frame. Spaced along the plate 36 is a block 33 which lies between and is secured to the front and rear transverse plates 35 and is spaced on its other two edges a substantial distance from the right and left transverse plates 33 and 34. This block as will also later appear carries the needle lateral thrust bearing for the buck pipes, and anchors the springs for spreading the buck halves to open position.

Referring to Figures 3 and 8 the buck which is mounted on the carriage frame 3i) consists of a center column 49 of T section and two pipes 52 on opposite sides of the center column. The pipes 52 each have at their lower end a cylindrical pivot base 42 which is revolvably mounted on an end thrust bearing at) xed laterally in the plate 36 and a lateral thrust roller bearing 39 in the bearing block 38 as best seen in Figure 8. The end thrust bearing 4) rests upon bottom plate il of the carriage.

A gear wheel 43 is keyed in position upon the lower end of each pivot base 42. A stiffener plate 44 is secured to the under face of the bottom plate 41 (Figures 6 and 8). The driving pin 45 which engages the conveyer flight bar 29 is welded to this stitfener plate 44.

The pivot base i2 is formed at its upper end with a vertically disposed plate @2a which lies between the branches of a clevis at the lower end of a pipe plug 5t). The clevis of pipe plug 5) is pivoted to the plate 42a of the pivot base 42 by means of a hinge pin 51.

The pipe 52 fits over the circumferentially recessed end of the plug 50 (Figure 3) and extends upwardly to the top of the buck. It is provided with several vertically disposed rows of perforations S3. Preferably these perforations are in three or more rows opening in directions other than toward the axis of the buck.

Referring to Figures 3, 8 and 9, the center column 49 is hinged to a center column pedestal 47 by means of a hinge pin 48, the axis of this hinge pin coinciding with the axes of the hinge pins 51 when, as will later appear, the buck halves are in folded positions. The center column pedestal 47 rests upon the top carriage plate 37 and is held in proper upright position by means of supporting bracket 46 secured to the top carriage plate 37 and a holding down bracket 47a also secured to the top carriage plate 37 on the other side of the pedestal 47.

The center column 49 has a T flange 49a (Figure 13) to give it greater rigidity. Near the upper end of the center column 49 there is secured to it an upper bearing structure 6l for rotatably supporting the two pipes 52. Substantially at the upper end of the center column a bracket S5 is mounted for the support of a garment collar form titl (Figure 8). A collar clamping ring 87 is brought into and out of engagement with the collar form Si) for holding the collar of the garment in proper position upon the buck by means of a hand operated clamp 85. The buck pipes 52 each have welded thereto a. sleever arm pipe 63, with the interior chambers of the associated pipes 52 in communication. Each -of the buck pipes 52 and each of the sleever arm pipe extensions 63 is cllosed at its outer end with caps 62 and 63a respective y.

A plate 54 is welded to one side of one of the pipes 52 to give the buck frame the proper lateral extension for the accommodation of the garment. (See Figure 13.) This side of the pipe is its left side as it travels along the two sides of the trackway and when the garment is placed on the form the front of the garment is on this left side of the form. This plate 54 has extending outwardly from its upper portion a sleever arm 6.5 welded to one side of the sleever arm pipe 63 (Figure 8)) The plate including its sleever arm i55 is perforated as designated by the numerals 55 over its entire area to insure the rapid and even distribution of air from the pipes 52 and 63 within the enveloping bag form to be presently described. The other of the buck pipes 52 has welded to its leftward side a similar plate 54 having a similar sleever arm 65.

Each of the plates 54 is faced on its outer surface with a layer of steel wool padding 56 which is-held in place upon the frame plate 54 by a screen wire h-older 57 (Figure 13). The T ange 49a of the center column 49 is similarly faced with a layer of steel wool 56a held 1n place by a screen wire holder 57a.

The buck structure thus described, including the sleever arms and extending down to the lower portion of the buck pipes 52, is enclosed in a bag 59 of taffeta nylon having a high degree of resistance to temperatures up to three hundred and fty degrees. This bag encloses in nearly airtight fashion a chamber around the buck frame. The bag may be expanded by the injection into it of air under pressure to inate it against the inner surface of the garment to be pressed.

The bag has an opening at its lower end and at the ends of the sleever arms. It is fastened to the buck around these openings in a manner to prevent the escape of air by the following devices. A bag fastening plate 58 having parallel edges and semi-circular ends snugly embraces the pipes 52. A dished locking plate 58a is drawn upwardly by wing nuts 58!) to clamp the material of the bag 59 ar-ound its lower opening tightly against the bag fastening plate 58. A pair of air sealing rings 60 of suitable material snugly engage the pipes 52 and permit these pipes to rotate without permitting air to escape between the bag fastening plate 58 and the outer surface of the pipe. The two sleever arm pipes 63 are perforated at 64 and these perforations are directed away from the sleever arm plate 65 to which the sleever arm pipes 63 are welded.

To the outer end of each of the sleever arm plates 65 is welded an anchor block 66 to which is threadedly secured a pin assembly 67 (Figure 12). An oval rimmed plate 71 is welded to the outer end of this pin assembly and the sleever end 68 is fastened to the pin assembly 67 by means of an Allen headed bolt 81 operated by an Allen wrench inserted through the opening 83 in the sleever end. The end of each of the sleeve portions of the bag 59 is placed around the plate 71 and folded within the rim thereof where it is securely held by means of a spring sealing ring 73. A plate 68a on the inner end of the sleever end 68 is clamped tightly against the bag by means of the Allen headed bolt 81.

The sleever ends 68 are electrically heated during a portion of the course of travel of the buck and its carriage around the track way as will later appear. This heating is accomplished for each sleever end by a thermostatically controlled electric heating element 76 which is connected by a conductor rod 77 which passes through and is insulated from plate 68a to a conductor terminal 74. From this terminal a conductor 75 leads along the buck frame plate 54 (Figure 3) to and through the frame of the carriage to the pusher pin 45. Here it connects with a sliding contact terminal 77a which engages a bus bar 79. This bus bar is suitably mounted on the track structure and is preferably lined underneath with a protecting layer 78 of insulating material to prevent accidental contact of the bus bar. The bus bar preferably extends from station 2 to station 3.

This bus bar 79 through sliding terminal 77a also supplies current to four spring actuated reels 152 (Figure 4) upon which are wound respectively four electric cables 151 leading up to four trigger tripped, spring actuated clamps 150 (Figure 3) respectively. These clamps are manually fastened as shown in Figure 3 to the tail of the shirt or coat which is to be pressed at the time the buck is dressed at station 1 and are held in clamping position upon the garment by the trigger, until the trIgger is released by the energization of a solenoid coil on the clamp. When the buck and carriage leaves station 2 and makes contact with the bus bar 79, the solenoid coils are energized, the clamps are automatically disengaged from the garment, the reels 152 wind up the cables 151 dropping the clamps 150 to the top plate of the carriage base where they lie until again picked up by the operator and applied to the lower end of the garment when the buck and carriage again reach station 1.

The sleeves of the garment are pulled outwardly on the sleever of the buck by trigger released clamps 69a attached to the ends of wires 69 which as shown in Figure 12 lead into the sleever end 68, pass around a sheave 84 mounted in the inner chamber of the end 68, and thence through an opening in the plate 68a and an air sealing ferrule 72 to one end of a tension spring 70. The other end of this spring is suitably fastened to the outer end of the small sleever arm pipe 63. The clamps 69a are manually attached to the shirt or coat sleeve ends when the buck is dressed at station 1 and are automatically disengaged at station 3 where the garment is removed from the buck. As the buck halves fold, slack appears in the wires 69 and the springs 70 pull the clamps into contact with the plates 68a operating the trigger release on the clamps.

An insulating angle iron ring 82 adjacent the heating element 76 insulates the sheave 84 and other parts of the sleever end 68 from excessive heat.

At station 1 the garment is placed with its front facing leftward upon one of the traveling bucks when it reaches this station from station 3 along the base triangular leg of the trackway shown in Figure l. The trackway at station 1 is constructed to receive the carriage of the buck as it arrives at the station and to turn it through a small angle ready for its trip from station 1 to station 2. The conveyor chain 28 is halted as the carriage arrives at station 1 as will be more fully explained below in the account of the operation of the apparatus. lt is held at the station for a short period of time.

During the time when it remains stationary, a facility is provided for elevating the sleever arms and the entire garment supporting part of the buck from the folded horizontal position shown in Figure 8 which it occupies as it travels from station 3 to station 1, to a vertical position in which the sleever arms are spread outwardly from the axis of the buck in diametrically opposite positions parallel to the line of travel of the buck and its carriage along `the left side leg of the trackway. This facility as shown in Figure 8 consists of a cylinder 101 mounted on the lefthand side of the trackway. This cylinder is pivoted at its lower end to a bracket 101a on the oor of the building in which the apparatus is installed. A piston rod 102 pneumatically actuated by a piston within the cylinder extends diagonally upwardly in a vertical plane perpendicular to the trackway. The outer end of this piston rod 102 carries a pusher arm 103 which as the piston rod moves outwardly engages a lug 114 on the center bar above the hinge axis of the center bar as this bar and the entire buck are horizontally positioned, as best shown in Figure 8. When air is admitted to the cylinder 161. the rod 102 elevates the buck to its vertical position in. readiness for its travel to station 2. When tlie buck reaches its vertical position shown in phantom lines iii Figure 8, the two halves of the buck with their sleever arms are unfolded into a vertical plane with the arms ex tending outwardly in opposite directions as shown in Figure 2 by the spring action of a mechanism which will now be described.

The gear wheels 43 on the pivot bases 42 of the two buck pipes engage a rack bar 94 which is mounted to reciprocate horizontally between these two gear wheels (see Figure 4). This rack bar is guided iii its travel by two pairs Of angle iron flanges 98, secured to the plate 36 as shown in Figures 5 and 6. This rack bar is held at the rightward side of the carriage by a plurality of spiral springs 96 which at their leftward end are secured to a cross arm bolted to the rack bar 94 and at their inner end to the needle bearing block 38. These springs urge the rack bar to its extreme rightward limit position as determined by the contact of the cross arm 95 with the leftwar d transverse carriage frame plate 34. ln this limit position the pivot bases 42 of the buck pipes are at the angular position in which the sleever arms and the body portions of the buck halves extend outwardly from each other in a single vertical plane. When the buck is in the position shown in full lines in Figure 8, it is obvious that the springs 96 are unable to act upon the rack bar, but as soon as the buck reaches its vertical position after the elevating action of cylinder 101, these springs are free to move the cross arm 95 and with it the rack bar 94 from the extreme leftward position shown in phantom lines in Figure 4 to the extreme rightward position shown in full lines in that figure.

As the buck approaches station 3 from station 2 it supports the ironed or pressed garment with the buck arms in the open extended position. At station 3 the buck and its carriage are halted in the same manner asy at station 1, the two halves of the buck are folded together to. the left and in their folded position lowered to a horizontal position as shown in phantom lines in Figure 2 and in full lines in Figure 8. This double operation of folding and lowering the buck is accomplished by two pneumatically operated cylinders and pistons disposed side by side at the right of the trackway as shown in Figure 2. Cylinder 90 is stationarily mounted in a horizontal position with its axis perpendicular to the side wall of the trackway in any suitable manner as for instance upon a support attached to the side wall 11b of the trackway. The piston rod 91 (Figure 4) of this cylinder 9) is normally positioned in alinement with an opening 9 2 in the side wall 11b of the trackway and when air is admitted through the conduit 93 the piston within the cylinder forces the rod through the side wall of the trackway into engagement with the rightward end of the rack 94 which under these conditions is at its extreme rightward position of the carriage. Further movement of the piston rod 91 operates the rack and the gear wheels 43 against the action of the spring 96. to close the two halves of the buck into folded position. At this juncture the piston rod 112 of a pivotally mounted buck lowering cylinder 111 is pneumatically pushed outwardly into engagement with a lug114 (Figures 2 and 8) on the rightward side of the center column of the buck to lower the folded buck halves into horizontal position as shown in phantom lines in Figure 2. The. garment is then removed by an operator standing just to the. left of the horizontally extending end of the buck and after a suitable time interval under the control system which will be. more fully described below, the Conveyer chain is again started, pulling the rectangular carriage, as for instance the carriage 30C, into position in which the outstretched arms of the buck are vertical to the base leg of the triangular trackway, and thereafter propelled along this base leg to station 1.

To prevent the buck, after it has, been folded by cylinder 9() and is engaged by the rodl 112 of cylinder 111, from falling rapidly forward under the action of its own weight, the rod 112 is provided with a horizontally bent end, constituting a pusher member 113 and the lug 114 on the center bar has pivoted to it a spring biased latch 115 (see Figure 2a) which is moved upwardly by the pusher 113, thereafter closes down upon the pusher and supports the buck against falling as the rod 112 moves outwardly to its extreme position in which the buck arms extend horizontally outwardly.

The knee joint feature of this inventiom by which the form may be lowered from an upright position in which the sleever arms are horizontal to a prone position in which the sleever arms are directly upwardly, preferably vertically, is of great value, for it not only places the form within easy reach of the operators, both for dressing and for undressing the form, but the ends ofthe sleevers are both within easy reach and so placed together and directed that the operation of pulling the sleeves of the garment as well as the rest of the garment onto the form is made a short, easv one for the operators.

The cylinders 90, 101 and 111 are retrieved by springs properly arranged for that purpose within the cylinder chamber, and held in the retrieved position when air pressure to the cylinders is shut off. At station 3, the air pressure applied to cylinder 9i) is shut olf shortly after cylinder 111 has begun to lower the buck into its horizontal position and similarly the air pressure to cylinders 101 and 111 is shut off after the elevating and lowering functions of those cylinders respectively have been performed. When the carriage 30C is angled on its vertical axis to prepare it for travel along the base leg of the triangular trackway, the latch 115 and lug 114 to which the latch is hinged are automatically pulled out of engagement with the pusher 113 on the end of the rod 112.

At station 2 are installed the smoothing devices and operating mechanism therefor (see Figure The framework supporting these devices and mechanisms may be of any suitable character and in the, embodiment of the invention shown, consist of a pair of structural beams 120 upon the floor of the installation site connectedv at their forward end to the inside plates 11a?V of the trackway and at their other ends to a transverse floor beam 121. Vertically arranged beams 122 extend upwardly from the two ends of the beam 121 and are inclined toward each other and joined at their upper ends by short horizontal beam section 122:1.

A supporting cylinder 123 is held in a vertical position between the transverse beam section 122tz and the transverse iloor beam 121. This framework may be suitably braced, as by braces 124. @n this cylinder 123 are swingably mounted two pressing irons 125 and 126 to open and close with respect to each other in clam shell fashion as shown in phantom lines and full lines, respectively, in Figure 2. These irons have juxtaposed pressing plates 125e and 126:1 which are suitably reinforced by ribs for resisting flexure stresses, the inner surfaces of the plates serving to smooth the garment when the two irons are swung into closed position. The plates 125e and 126a present a slight change in direction at their vertical center lines as indicated at 127 to enable them to better conform to the shape of the inflated taffeta nylon bag 59.

The pressing irons are swung relative to each other by means of a pneumatically operated cylinder and piston assembly 131. This cylinder and piston assembly is pivoted at its two ends to two frames 136, respectively, which are mounted on the backs of the pressing irons. This cylinder is disposed cross-wise of the irons in the open space between the rear sleever portions 125b of the irons and the supporting frames 129, 129er of the presser irons 125 and 126 and to the rear of the main body portion of the irons. Each of the irons as shown in cross-sectional detail in Figure` 17 is double-walled and has a steam chamber 128 between the two walls. One of the irons at its upper edge has a flange 12861 which spans the space between the two irons and serves as a lip to contain the upper edge of the nylon bag when inilated.

The steam is admitted through a pipe to the rear end of the sleever portion of each iron from a supply pipe 135.1 within the cylinder 123. The steam return pipe 136 withdraws steam from the bottom of the main portion of the iron, discharging the steam into a pipe 13611 within the cylinder 123. The ends of the pipes 135' and 136 within the cylinder 123 are provided with suitable terminals for connection by flexible steam hose to pipes 135a and 136g respectively to provide for the oscillatory movement of the irons.

When the irons are brought into pressing position by the cylinder 131 they are latched in that position for a predetermined control time interval by a latching cylinder 1451. This cylinder is hinged at 137 at its rear end to the leftward pressing iron 125. Its piston rod 144 is pivoted to a bell crank lever 143 pivotally mounted on a vertical hinge pin 143:1 on the leftward pressing iron 12S and at the forward end thereof. The outer leg of this bell crank lever has formed thereon a latching cam shaped dog 13S (Figure 2) which reaches around the forward edge of the body portion of the rightward iron 126 and as the cam surface on the dog engages a latching roller 139 on this rightward pressing iron as shown in full lines in Figure 2', progressively engages the roller, increasing pressure is exerted by the pressing irons against the buck. The latching cylinder is supplied with compressed air by suitably arranged exible hose connections to be later described.

The cylinder 131 for operating the pressing irons is ported at each end for the admission of compressed air on either side of the piston within the cylinder by flexible conduits designated as 132 and 133 in the diagram of Figure 14. A delaying spring 134 (Figure 2) operating against the pneumatic action of the cylinder 131 causes the rightward pressing iron to lag in its movement slightly behind the leftward pressing iron.

A motor (Figure 15) on the oor or bed frame of the apparatus drives an air compressor 161 and is regulated to furnish air at a relatively low pressure as for instance five pounds per square inch. The air delivered by the compressor 161 is passed through heater 162 to an elbow 166. The outlet end of this elbow is connected to a manifold 165 having two branches 181 and 182 (see Figure 16). The open outlet ends of these branches 181 and 182 register with an opening 142 in the side of one of the buck pipes 52 and the outlet end of an elbow 141 welded to and communicating with the other buclt pipe 5.2 at the same horizontal level, when a buck and its carriage are moved to and halted at station 2. A butterfly valve 168 in the manifold upstream from the branches 131, 182 controls the admission of heated air through the manifoldv branches to the buck pipes when a buck is at station 2. This buttery valve is actuated by a lever 169 suitably pivoted to the framework of the machine,

This lever is mechanically operated by the front press head 125a as it moves into ironing position at station 2.

The press head moves against the lever 169 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 18. The sloping cam 17) attached to the lever engages a horizontally extending, right angled bent end 171 of the shaft 172 of the butterfly valve damper 16S, pushing upward the end 171 to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 18, giving the shaft 172 and butterfly valve damper a 90 degree turn to the open position. This turn is made against the action of a spring 173, which returns the damper to its closed position when the opening movement of the iron and leftward movement of the cam 170 permits it.

A spring 174 attached to the base of the lever 169 (Figure 18) holds the lever normally in its leftward valve closing position. The lower end of lever 169 (see Figure is operatively connected with an exhaust valve 175 in the pipe 161a connecting the air compressor 161 with the heater 162 in such a manner that this exhaust valve is opened when the butterfly valve is closed, allowing the air from the compressor to be blown into the laundry room. This feature of the machine has a dual advantage. The compressor operates continuously providing an immediately available source of air pressure for the nylon bags of the bucks as the carriages successively arrive at the pressing stations, and it cools the air of the laundry room which because of the nature of the laundry operations is usually at a temperature above the comfort level. When a carriage and buck with the garment thereon moves into position at station 2 for the pressing operation, buttery valve 168 is opened admitting hot air into the nylon bag which is inated as the pressing irons are brought to their closed position. The smoothing action of the irons results from the air pressure within the nylon bag as it forces the garment outside of the bag into pressural contact with the smoothing surfaces of the two irons. T he heat of the air of inflation within the bag dries the garment and assists in the smoothing operation.

As has been heretofore stated, the porosity of the form bag is sufficient that when air is first blown into the bag and before the pressing irons come to closed position, the air in the bag changes a great many times a minute keeping the pressure within the bag at a low figure. As the irons come closer together, and first the front iron and then the rear iron Contact the bag, and are finally latched in locked position, the pressure within the bag increases until it may reach a pressure approaching that of the pressure in the air line. As the bag fills at an increasing pressure and before the irons come fully into action, the bag lls out at all points of its surface, taking out wrinkles, and smoothing and stretching the garment in readiness for the irons. Most of the moisture is first removed from the garment, and then heat and pressure are applied.

For steam pressing heavy textile material, the irons may be omitted from the apparatus, and the internally applied heated compressed air solely relied upon to smooth the garment.

A switch 159 (Figure 14) contact-operated by the advancing carriage operates the valve admitting air into the press closing cylinder 131.

A steam valve 164 (Figure l5) in a steam conduit 163 connected with the steam main 135:1, is electrically operated by a switch 164:1 mounted on the trackway structure at station 1 (see Figure 2) when it is desired to mingle steam with the inating air forced into the nylon bag from the compressor 161 and heater 162. This is done when shirts of wool and synthetic material are being `smoothed.

This is also done in pressing coats and similar garments.

Figure 14 shows in diagrammatic form the devices of the control system by which the operational sequence of the several parts of the apparatus are determined. A master starting switch 177 mounted on the trackway frame work at station 1 (see Figure 2) and shown at the upper lefthand corner of Figure 14, is manually operated to energize the electrical control devices of the machine. While the apparatus is designed to operate continuously and to have its various functions performed in a time sequence which provides periods of adequate duration for the dressing and undressing of the bucks, a manually operated emergency stop switch 178 on the outer plate of the base leg of the triangular trackway (see Figure 2) permits the entire machine to be halted in its operation as may be necessary. Since the usual reason for stopping the machine in this manner is to permit more time for placing the garment on the buck, this switch is located convenient to the operator at the loading station 1. Another such switch 178a at station 3 is provided for emergency use of the unloading operator. It will be understood that the machine requires two operators, one at station 1 for the placing of the garment on the buck, and the other at station 3 for removing the garment. The operator at station 1 irons or presses the collars and cuffs by suitable and conveniently located machines just prior to positioning the garment on the buck. The machine irons the body of the garment and the sleeves and the second operator at station 3 removes the garment and places it on a hanger or on a table for folding. lt is then removed to a suitable storage location.

When the carriage with its buck arrives at station 2 the microswitch 1:9 starts the operation of a suitable time regulated control mechanism in the control box 190. This mechanism then shuts ol'l' motor 27 and operates an air valve in the air valve box 191 to admit air, coming trom a suitable source of compressed air through conduit 192, to the press operating cylinder 131 through conduits 193 and 132. The conduit 132 is schematically shown in the diagram of Figure 14 as a rigid conduit, but in the actual machine it is in the nature of a exible hose. Air flowing into the rightward end of the cylinder 131 moves the piston within the cylinder to the left, drawing the irons together to the closed position and opening a safety switch 176 to the motor 2l. The butterliy valve 166 (Figure 18), which admits heated air to the nylon bag 59, is opened when movement of one of the irons toward the other brings it into contact with the lever 169 which operates the buttery valve. When the iron returns to its normal open position, the lever 1619, retracted by its spring 174, closes the butterfly va ve.

At the same time that air is admitted to the right end of cylinder 131 the branch conduit 194 carries compressed air to the buck-tube rotating cylinder at station 3. Cylinder 90 then folds the buck on the carriage which has just arrived at station 3. When the piston in cylinder 131 has reached the leftward end of its travel it opens the port connecting a conduit 195 with the cylinder 131 permitting air from cylinder 131 to pass to the .latching cylinder locking the irons in their closed posltlon and also passing air through conduit 198 into the elevating'cylinder 111 at the unloading station 3. The buck at this station has been previously folded as just stated by compressed air from conduit 194 and the action of cylinder 111 is to lower the folded buck to the horizontal position in readiness for removal of the garment by the second operator at this unloading station.

After the piston and cylinder 131 has completed its leftward movement and after a predetermined period of time as for instance 18 seconds, the control box 190 closes the air valve in the valve box 191 which admits air to conduit 193 and opens the valve admitting air to conduit 133 and conduit 196. Air from conduit 133 passes into cylinder 131 and starts a retrograde movement of the piston in cylinder 131 opening the irons. Simultaneously air passing through conduit 196 is admitted to the rightward end of the latching cylinder releasing the latch and thus permitting the press operating cylinder 131 to move the irons into open position.

While the garment on one buck is being smoothed at station 2, the buck at station 1 is being dressed with another garment. At the end of the period of the pressing operation, this placement of the garment on the buck at station 1 has been completed and air from conduit 196 is conducted through a conduit 197 to the elevating cylinder 101 at station 1 to raise this buck to its vertical position. As has been already explained, when it reaches the vertical position its arms automatically are unfolded and extended in opposite directions by the action of the springs 96 in the base of the carriage` which are free to act at this juncture.

The control box also governs the operation of the motor 27 which drives the conveyer chain 28 (see also Figure l). The time regulated control mechanism in the control box 190, after completion of the sequence of operations at the pressing station 2 and the correlated sequence of operations at the loading and unloading stations 1 and 3 closes a switch to motor 27 and automatically terminates its own operation, and is in readiness for its next reenergization. The safety switch 176 has just been closed by the opening movement of one ot' the pressing irons.

'the three carriages then move simultaneously along the three legs or` the triangle and since the travel distances of the three legs are substantially equal the three carriages arrive at their next station simultaneously and are there stopped, when the motor 27 is deenergized. This occurs when the microswitch 59 is operated by movement of the next carriage into station 2 and the sequence described above is then repeated.

rihe normally closed safety switch 176 is kept open by one of the presses until the press is in full opened position, in the event that the time control of box 190 should close the motor operating circuit before the pressing operation is completed.

The complete cycle of operations of the apparatus may be divided into two periods, one in which the three carriages are simultaneously moving from one station to the next foliowing station, and the other period in which the three carriages are stationary at the three stations respectively. The rst period is initiated by the operation of the time regulated mechanism vin the control box, which closes a switch within the control box by which the conveyer operating motor 27 is started. Switch le@ terminates the rst period upon the arrival of the carriages at their respective stations at the juncture when the carriage approaching station 2 contacts and operates this switch. The second period of operations o the various devices for smoothing the garment on the buck at station 2 and for loading and unloading the buclts at stations l and 3, respectively, then follows under the control of the time operated motor of the control box This second period is terminated by the time regulated control mechanism 190 as the pressing irons reach their open position by the next closing of e switch 176.

'when the three carriages and their bucks are motionless at the three stations as shown in Figure 2, and the motor 27 is started by the closing of its starting switch in box i9@ the carriages begin their movement along the trackway. The carriage at station 1 identied as carriage dA, travels along the left leg of the trackway with its driving pin 45 propelled by the conveyer flight 29 and traveling in the slot 18. As the carriage 39A travels from the end of slot 18 to the beginning of slot 2t) the carriage is guided by the engagement of its wheels with the flanged rails of the side walls of the trac` y. When the carriage reaches the beginning or the l iai area of corner plates 17 and 17a the guiding pin enters the slot 20 and conducts the carriage'to the meeting point of the two legs of slot 20 at the beginning of slot 2da. The pin then enters 20a and the carriage is then moved along a line which bisects the angle between the legs of the slot 2t! to the terminal position at station 2 at which the sequence of pressing operations 1s then initiated. During this movement of the carriage while it is being controlled by the left leg of slot 2t) and the slot 2da, the side walls of the trackway, because of their divcrging relationships, have no control over the movement oi the carriage. .lust prior to the arrival of the carriage at its destination at station 2, the rails ot' the side walls iid at the extreme outer end of the tracltway engage the sides of the carriage andhold it rmly in position during the pressing operation. The conveyer flight 2? at the time the motor 27 is idle, lies in the position shown in dotted lines at Figure 2 and when the motor is again started, this conveyer Hight swings around the axis of the sprocket wheel h as a center upon making approximately a 120 degree` turn begms trackway toward station 3. When it reaches the junction of the two legs 20 with the leg 20a a switch 21@ which is spring biased to turn the flight pin rightward, insures the passage of the carriage along the right leg of the trackway.

In the meantime, the carriage which is moving from station 2 to station 3 is controlled in its movement as it arrives at station 3 by the sides of the slot 19 and comes to rest at the apex of the two legs of the slot 19. The conveyer flight 29 upon the next movement of the motor 27 angles around the pin 45 under the carriage and upon` making the turn of approximately 120 degrees starts the carriage on its travel along the base leg of,y the trackway. The third carriage initially started at station 3 moves from station 3 to station 1 being guided at the to propel the carriage along the right leg of the F beginning and end of its course by the slots 19 and 18 respectively, and in the intermediate portion of its travel by the track rails of the walls 11a and llf of the trackway. At the beginning of its travel the engagement of the pin 45 with the side walls of the slot 19 is such as to angle the carriage over about 30 degrees until it is properly alined for its passage to station 1. As it makes this turning movement, it is controlled by a sloping cam-like section 201 in the side wall 11a of the trackway and caused to assume its proper position of alinement with the trackway for its passage to station 1. When the carriage reaches station 1 it is similarly angled through a 30 degree arc by contact of its leftward side with the outside wall 11e of the trackway.

In general the movement of the carriages is controlled between stations by the rails of the trackway. At the several stations its movement and its orientation with respect to the trackway is controlled in part by the slots 18, 19 and 20 and in part by the adjacent portions of the rackway rails. The offset position of the conveyer chain sprocket wheels with reference to the axial lines of the three legs of the tracltway is essential to a proper operation of the carriages mto and out of each of the station positions.

It is to be noted that the control mechanism may be adjusted so that the period in which the carriages re.- main stationary may be of sufficient duration to permit the garment to be removed at station 3 and another garment applied to the form at that same. station by the same operator. The form will then be automatically elevated at station 1, at which no operator will be present. Or the form may be folded, lowered and the garment removed at station 3 and the form dressed and elevated also at station 3, and the trackway designed to transport the dressed form directly to the pressing sta` tion. In the latter case, there need be only two traveling forms and the trackway arranged to reverse the di`v rection of travel of the carriage at each station, as it is reversed at station 2 in the embodiment of the invention described herein.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for smoothing the surface of sleeved garments, the combination of: three traveling carriages; a trackway presenting in plan contour a substantially equilateral triangle, determining an endless path of travel of said carriages; a garment form mounted on each carriage in an upright position in which the form lies in a plane parallel to said path of travel; means at a first station at a irst apex along the trackway for facili-A tating the placing of a garment on a form; means at a second station at a second a'rex along the trackway for smoothing the surface of the garment on a form standing at said station comprising two smoothing press heads` hinged on a common vertical axis located on a line bisecting the angle of saidtapex; means at a third station at a third apex along the trackway for facilitating the removal of a garment from a form; means for simultaneously moving the three forms along the trackway at substantially equal distances from each other; means for stopping the said moving means as the forms arrive at said stations; and means associated with said trackway effective just before a carriage reaches said rst apex for changing the direction of travel of the carriage to coincide with said angle bisecting line.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, in which each carriage has a base of rectangular horizontal contour and a central vertically projecting lug, and the trackway has horizontally spaced supporting rails engaging two opposite sides of each carriage, a pair of opposite guides parallel to the path of travel and laterally restraining the edges of each carriage, a slotted central structure parallel to the path of travel for engaging said lug, and in addition thereto: a conveyer means propelling said carriages, said guides andthe slots of saidV slotted structure meeting at acute and third stations, the slots between stations, respectively, and the second station changing direction adjacent the second station so as to join at a point centrally inward from the triangle apex at the second station along the line bisecting the angle at said apex, and said slotted means comprising a relatively short slot extending from said junction to the said second station apex, the said inner and outer guides being shaped in plan contour to be disengaged from the carriage from, a point laterally opposite said point of` diangles at the rst the rst and third rection change to said apex,\and the outer guides providing a lateral restraining means immediately beyond said apex for holding the carriage at said apex with its form parallel to said angle bisecting line.

3. The combination defined in claim 2, and in addition thereto: a spring-biased switch associated with said slotted means at said junction normally positioned to provide an open slot from the second station to the third station.

4. In a form for a garment: a base; a half form pivotally mounted on a vertical axis on the base; a similar half form pivotally mounted on the base, each of said half forms being constructed with a knee joint equally distant above the level of the base by which it can be swung downward on a horizontal axis lying in the plane of said vertical axes; and means for simultaneously turning the half forms on their axes from an oppositely extended position to a folded position.

5. The combination defined in claim 4, and in addition thereto: a central support for said half forms constructed with a knee joint operating on an axis coincident with the axis of the knee joint of said half forms when in folded position.

6. The combination defined in claim 5, and in addition thereto: resilient means normally holding the half forms in their extended position.

7. The combination defined in claim 6, and in addition thereto: power operated plunger rod means mounted to engage and elevate and lower said central support.

8. In a form for a garment, the combination of: a base; a central support extending upwardly therefrom and having a horizontal knee joint above the level of the base; two standard bases vertically pivotally mounted on the base with their axes in the same vertical plane as that of the said knee joint; a horizontal rack transversely slidable on the base in a direction perpendicular to said plane; a gear wheel on each standard base engaging with said rack; a standard extending vertically upward from each of said standard bases and secured thereto and rotatably supported by said central support at its upper end portion, each of said standards having a knee joint with its corresponding standard base on a horizontal axis normally parallel to the rack; a pair of half forms secured to the said standards respectively which extend outwardly from each other in opposite directions and open position when the knee joints of the said standards are in the said normal position; stop means on the base for limiting movement of the rack to its position corresponding to said open position of the half forms; spring means on the base urging the rack toward said normal position; and power operated means for moving the rack against said spring means to rotate said standards to closed position.

9. In an apparatus for smoothing the surface of garments, the combination of: three similar traveling garment supporting forms, each form comprising a base, a half form pivotally mounted on a vertical axis on the base, a similar half form pivotally mounted on the base, each of said forms being constructed with a knee joint equally distant above the level of the base by which it can be swung downward on a horizontal axis lying in the plane of said vertical axes, and means for simultaneously turning the half forms on their axes from an oppositely extended position to a folded position lying in a vertical plane perpendicular to said horizontal axis; a trackway determining a circuit path of travel of the forms; means for simultaneously moving the three forms along the trackway, at substantially equal distances from each other; means at a station along the trackway for smoothing the surface of the garment on a form standing at said station; means for stopping the moving means as each form arrives at said station; means stationarily mounted at another station next following said first mentioned station for actuating said turning means on a form stationed at said another station; means stationarily mounted at said another station for swinging downwardly said half forms; and means stationaiily mounted at still another' station between said stations for elevating said half forms to their upright position, the three stations being substantially equally spaced along the trackway.

10. The combination defined in claim 9, in which the form additionally comprises means normally holding the half forms in their folded position, aiid in addition thereto: an automatic control system for sequentially operating said actuating means and lowering means immediately upon the arrival of a form at said smoothing station, and for operating said elevating means immediately prior to the resumption of travel of said forms, and for starting the said form moving means upon completion of the smoothing operation at the smoothing station.

l1. In a form for a garment smoothing machine, the combination of: a base; a pair of perforated pipes adjacently mounted on said base to rotate on vertical axes; a pair of laterally oppositely extending frames shaped to conform to the garment secured to said pipes respectively; an inatable bag of a material which is porous to a small degree enveloping said pipes and frames and secured to said pipes in air tight manner; means for rotating said pipes in opposite directions from a position in which the said frames extend outwardly in a common plane to a folded position; and means for admitting gaseous material under pressure to said pipes.

l2. The combination defined in claim ll in which said frames are ilat perforated plates.

13. In a garment smoothing machine, the combination of: a traveling garment supporting form having sleeve supports; a trackway for the form; an electric heating element at the outer end of each sleeve support; an electric conductor terminal on the form connected to the said heating elements; and an elongated conductor of limited length along the trackway slidably contacted by said terminal.

14. In a garment smoothing machine, the combination of: a traveling frame; a garment supporting form on the frame; a plurality of manually applicable and solenoid released clamps for attachment to extremities of the garment; resiliently retrievable elongated ilexible, electrically conducting means securing said clamps to the frame; a trackway for the traveling frame; an electric conductor terminal on the frame connected to said clamp securing means; and an elongated conductor of limited length along the trackway slidably contacted by said terminal.

l5, In a form for a sleeved garment smoothing inachine, the combination of: a frame; two half forms mounted on the frame on adjacent vertical axes, each half form having a portion for the body of the garment and a sleeve portion, and each half portion having a knee joint on a horizontal axis below the body portion; means for simultaneously rotating the half forms between a position with their sleeve portions extended and a folded position; and means for lowering and elevating the half forms when folded between an upright position with the sleeve portions horizontal to a downward position with the sleeve portions directed upwardly.

i6. The combination defined in claim l5, and in addition thereto; trigger releasable clamps for the outer ends of the garment sleeves connected for resilient retraction to the outer ends of the sleeve portions of the form upon movement of the half forms from extended to folded position; and a trigger actuating element on each sleeve portion in the path of movement of the clamp as it is being retracted.

17. In an apparatus for smoothing the surface of garments, the combination of: a plurality of traveling garment supporting forms, each form comprising a base, a pair of half forms pivotally mounted for rotation about vertical axes on the base, each of said half forms being constructed with a knee joint equally distant above the level of the base by which it can be swung downward on a horizontal axis lying in the plane of said vertical axes, and means for simultaneously turning the half forms on their axes, from an oppositely extended position to a folded position lying in a vertical plane perpendicular to said horizontal axis; a trackway determining a circuit path' of travel of the forms; means for simultaneously moving the forms along the trackway; means at a station along the trackway for smoothing the surface of the garment on a form standing at the station; means elsewhere along the trackway for adjusting each of the forms by iir st folding, secondly swinging downwardly, thirdly swinging upwardly, and lastly unfolding each of the rorms; a time regulated control device; means actuated upon the arrival of each of the forms at the smoothing station for initiating operation of said control device; connections b etween said control device on the one hand and said moving means, smoothing means, and said form adjusting means on the other hand for sequentially halting the moving means, starting the operation of the smoothing means, halting the operation of the smoothing means after a predetermined interval of time, operating the form adjusting means after the beginning and before the ending of the operation of the smoothing means, and starting the moving means after the ending of the operation of the smoothing means, the control device being rendered automatically inoperative upon the starting of the moving means.

18. The combination defined in claim 17, in which the forms are automatically spring returned to opened position upon the elevation of the form, in which the smoothing means is operated by a first fluid operated cylinder and piston having alternately operating inlet valves at the two ends of the cylinder, electrically controlled by said control device, in which the adjusting means comprises a folding cylinder and piston, a lowering cylinder and piston, and an elevating cylinder and piston, a first conduit from the inlet valve to the folding cylinder, a second conduit from the first cylinder connected thereto adjacent its outlet end leading to the lowering cylinder and a third conduit from the outlet valve to the elevating cylinder, said adjusting cylinders being automatically retractible.

19. The combination defined in claim 18 and in addition thereto a latching fluid pressure operated cylinder for holding in closed position the smoothing means; a fifth conduit between the second conduit and the end of the latching cylinder occupied by its piston when in the unlatching position, and a sixth conduit leading from the third conduit to the other end of the latching cylinder.

20. The combination defined in claim 17, in which the trackway has three stations including the smoothing sta tion, equally spaced from each other, in which there are three traveling forms, in which the moving means is a power propelled conveyor connected to the forms at equal intervals therealong, the folding and lowering means are at a station following the smoothing station, and the elevating and folding means is at a station between the smoothing and the folding and lowering stations.

2l. The combination defined in claim 17 in which the moving means is electric motor operated, and in addition thereto: a safety switch for holding the motor circuit open, said switch being movable to closed position by the smoothing means upon the termination of its operation.

22. In an apparatus for smoothing garments, the combination of: a trackway presenting a substantially triangular contour defining an endless path of travel; at least one carriage on said trackway having a garment form mounted thereon; means at a first station at a first apex along the trackway for facilitating the placing of a garment on said form; means at a second station at a second apex along the trackway for smoothing the surface of the garment; means at a third station at a third apex along the trackway for facilitating the removal of said garment from said form; means for moving the form along the trackway; and means for stopping the moving means as the form arrives at said stations.

23. In an apparatus for smoothing garments, the combination of three traveling carriages; a trackway presenting a substantially triangular contour defining an endless path of travel for the carriages; a garment form mounted on each carriage; means at a first station at a first apex along the trackway for facilitating the placing of a garment on a form; means at a second station at a second apex along the trackway for smoothing the surface of the garment; means at a third station at a third apex along the trackway for facilitating the removal of a garment from a form; means for simultaneously moving the three forms along the trackway; and means for stopping the moving means as the forms arrive at said stations.

24. In an apparatus for smoothing garments, the combination of: three traveling carriages; a trackway presenting a substantially triangular contour defining an endless path of travel for the carriages; a garment form mounted on each carriage, said form having oppositely extending sleeve portions lying in a plane parallel to the path of travel on which the form moves; means at a first station at a first apex along the trackway for facilitating the placing of a garment on a form; means at a second station at a second apex along the trackway for smoothing the surface of the garment; means at a third station at a third apex along the trackway for facilitating the removal of a garment from a form; means for simultaneously moving the three forms along the trackway; and means for stopping the moving means as the forms arrive at said stations.

25. In a form for a garment smoothing machine, the combination of: a base; a pair of standards on the base mounted adjacently for rotation on vertical axes; a pair of laterally, oppositely extending frames secured to said standards respectively and shaped to conform substantially to a garment; inflatable bag means of material which is porous to a small degree, secured to at least the side portions of said frames in an airtight manner; means for admitting gas to said bag means; and means for rotating said standards inopposite directions from a position in which the frames extend oppositely in a common plane, to a folded position.

26. In a garment smoothing machine, the combination of: a frame of the general shape of the garment; inflatable bag means; a trackway mounting said frame; means for moving the frame along the trackway; a dressing station at one end of said trackway; a pair of pressing irons at the other end of said trackway; means associated with the trackway for moving the pressing iron into and out of pressural Contact with said frame when said frame is moved between the irons; and means for admitting gas under pressure to said bag means when said frame is between said irons.

27. In a garment smoothing machine, the combination of: a frame of the general shape of the garment; inflatable bag means mounted on the frame; a pair of pressing irons hinged along their rear vertical edges to swing open and closed in clam shell manner to engage said frame; a latch member pivotally mounted on the front edge portion of one of said irons and transversely overlapping a surface on the front edge portion of the other iron; and hydraulic means for pivoting said latch member to draw the front edge portions of said pressing irons together and maintain 55 them in pressural engagement with said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,896,479 Carroll Feb. 7, 1933 1,896,518 Johnson Feb. 7, 1933 2,065,235 Matthews Dec. 22, 1936 2,436,731 Richa Feb. 24, 1948 2,454,888 Shaw et al. Nov. 30, 1948 2,460,732 Brenner et al. Feb. l, 1949 

